§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been in Her Majesty's prisons for (a) five years and (b) 10 years and the latest date for which figures are available; and what was the average cost per annum per prisoner;
(2) how many people, at the latest date for which figures are available, have been in Her Majesty's prisons for 20 years; and what is the number classified by offences.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation in the form requested is not available. On 31 August 1979 881 persons in prison department establishments were serving sentences imposed over five years previously, of whom 232 were serving sentences imposed over 10 years previously and 16 were serving sentences imposed over 20 years previously. Seven of these 16 had been in custody continuously for 20 years or more; the remaining nine had spent some time at liberty on life licence which was subsequently revoked. All of the seven were serving sentences for murder.
Details of the cost of maintaining an inmate in custody in the financial year 1977–78 are given in appendix No. 4 of the report on the work of the prison department 1978—Cmnd. 7619.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost of keeping in Her Majesty's prisons a man considered dangerous to the public.
§ Mr. BrittanA person who is a danger to the public is likely to be among those in security categories A or B. Such prisoners are normally held in dispersal prisons, but allocation to a particular type of establishment is also determined by other factors, including a prisoner's needs and the facilities available. As shown in the annual report on the work of the prison department 1978—Cmnd. 7619, 245W para. 16—the average weekly cost in 1977–78 of custody in establishments for adult males was:
… £ Six dispersal Prisons … 187 Other closed Training prisons … 91 Local prisons and remand centres … 85
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adult males, adult females, young males
POPULATION OF PRISON DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES (*) HELD ON REMAND OR ON SENTENCE ON 30 JUNE 1979: BY AGE, SEX AND TYPE OF INSTITUTION Adults Young prisoners Type of institution Males Females Males Females Total Remand centres … … … … 557 132 1,655 100 2,444 Local prisons … … … … 14,354 236 2,180 101 16,871 Training prisons: open … … … … 3,104 359 — 29 3,492 closed … … … … 10,291 259 1,117 45 11,712 Borstals: open … … … … — — 1,509 40 1,549 closed … … … … — — 3,508 117 3,625 Detention centres: open … … … … — — 201 — 201 closed … … … … — — 1,839 — 1,839 Total … … … … 28,306 986 12,009 432 41,733 * Excluding 570 male and 16 female civil prisoners for whom no age information is readily available
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) untried prisoners, (b) convicted but unsentenced prisoners and (c) civil prisoners were in custody on 30 June.
Mr. BrittonThe information requested is set out in the following table:
Population of unsentenced and non-criminal prisoners in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1979 by status: Status No. Untried … … 3,909 Convicted unsentenced … … 2,212 Non-criminal … … 586
POPULATION OF PERSONS SERVING SENTENCES OF IMPRISONMENT IN PRISON DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES ON 30 JUNE 1979: BY AGE AND SENTENCE LENGTH Sentence length Adult prisoners Young prisoners Total Up to and including one month 679 189 868 Over one up to and including six months 3,047 669 3,716 Over 6 up to and including 18 months 7,534 579 8,113 Over 18 up to and including three years 6,583 823 7,406 Over three years up to and including five years 3,661 361 4,022 Over five years—including life sentences and those prisoners detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure 3,907 159 4,063 Total 25,411 2,780 28,191
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many adults and young offenders in prison department custody on 30 June were
246Wand young females were in prison department custody on 30 June; how many in each category were in local prisons, remand centres, training prisons, borstals and detention centres; and how many in each of the past three types of institution were in open conditions.
§ Mr. BrittanThe information is as follows:
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adults and young offenders in prison on 30 June were serving sentences of (a) one month or less, (b) one to three months, (c) three to six months, (d) six to 18 months, (e) 18 months to three years, (f) three to five years and (g) over five years.
§ Mr. BrittanThe information available is given in the attached table:
imprisoned for (a) fine default and (b) maintenance defaults; and how many were imprisoned under the immigration laws:
247W(2) how many adults and young offenders in prison department custody on 30 June, including fine defaulters, had been convicted of (a) drunkeness, (b) offences relating to prostitution, (c) possession of cannabis, (d) other drug offences, (e) breach of a probation order, (f) breach of a community service order, (g) breach of a conditional discharge, (h) breach of a suspended sentence, (i) criminal damage, (j) theft, (k) handling of stolen goods, (l) robbery, (m) burglary, (n) fraud, (o) forgery, (p) murder, (q) other homicide and attempted homicide, (r) wounding, (s) assaults, (t) cruelty to children, (u) other offences of violence—to be specified—(v) rape, (w) buggery and indecency between males, (x) gross indency with children, and (y) other sexual offences, with details of these offences;
(3) how many people in prison department custody on 30 June were first, second, third, fourth, fifth and more than fifth time offenders.
§ Mr. BrittanThe information requested is not yet available. I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.